Candidates respond to questions

This week The Star presents a candidates’ forum, in which we publish the responses of candidates for public office to questions we emailed to each.

Not all responded, but many of the candidates seeking voter approval for 11 contested local offices sent in their thoughts to answer the questions posed.

Below is the text of the email we sent. Their answers follow inside this issue.

Dear Candidate,

As a candidate for a contested local public office, you are the subject of an important community focus for the next few weeks — the upcoming election.

In an effort to help the voters understand who you are and what your views and goals are, The Star newspaper invites you to submit your answers to the questions below for inclusion in our Oct. 23 issue. Although these questions may look generic, your answers won’t be as you tailor them to your specific qualifications for the job you want to tackle.

Please respond with no more than 800 words in total.

Optionally, you may also wish to submit a photo.

Note that this is not a solicitation for paid advertising, which you may wish to pursue separately; there is no cost to you for this coverage -- other than your time.